Almond Butter Banana Overnight Oats

And by quasi-health, you probably know what I mean. After all, I do run not only a food blog, but a dessert blog. Eating papaya and spinach all day every day is not in the cards for me.

Rather, I’ve decided to eat better during the day, incorporating a lot of healthy proteins and vegetables into my meals, leaving the evening (and basically the weekend) as a free-for-all with a bit of portion control. It might not seem like a lot, but trust me, this is a huge improvement from my ‘dessert with every meal’ mindset of the past 23 years.

Those who have willpower stronger than I might say, “But Cassie, that’s no way to lose weight!” I agree. But I’ve come to terms with myself and munching on carrot sticks and slurping green smoothies instead of enjoying a satisfying piece of chocolate cake or brownie won’t do it for me. Nope. Never.

As for fitness . . . these at-home workouts are kicking my butt. I have never sweated so hard or felt the searing pain of not being able to walk around before. It’s terrifying but beautiful. Though I could do without all those push-ups and tricep dips.

Due to my work schedule, my thrice weekly circuit training workouts have to be at 4:30 a.m. in the tiny gym in my condo. The plus side? There’s no one there to see me flop around like a beached whale with rosacea. The not-so-great side? Yeah, it’s 4:30 in the damn morning.

After I workout, I’m always ravenous for either eggs or something hardy like oats. Which brings us to today’s recipe: Almond Butter Banana Overnight Oats! These mason jar oats are a godsend on workout days, when my exhausted and sore self just can’t handle making a full breakfast at 5 in the morning.

Like all overnight oats, you just stir them up the night before and enjoy the fruits of your labour the next morning. Literally, all you need to do is grab a spoon and enjoy. It’s amazing.

Even if you didn’t come back from a workout, these almond butter banana overnight oats are great for keeping you full until lunchtime. The recipe is packed full of chia seeds, protein-heavy almond butter and potassium-rich bananas. Plus there’s a ton of fibre, protein and manganese in the oats themselves. You can get two servings out of one recipe, so feel free to save half for the next day’s breakfast, or split it with your significant other or roommate. If you only want one serving, you can easily halve the recipe.

Almond butter banana overnight oats: For when you’re trying to improve your fitness but are lazy as heck.

Check out CK on Instagram! If you try out one of my recipes, tag @CrumbKitchen so I can see your delicious creations. 🙂

Budget Breakdown

Why it’s Cheap

About $1.75 for a breakfast is CHEAP, folks. For that price you can get a soggy breakfast sandwich (maybe), or a delicious but unhealthy hash brown from McDonalds. By using oats—which are inexpensive and good for you—you can create a filling breakfast for pennies. This usually keeps me full until lunch.

Make it More Budget-Friendly

Swap the 1 cup of almond milk for 1 cup of regular milk. If almond butter is out of your budget, try a natural peanut butter, or even just a fat-reduced peanut butter. I prefer Kraft.